Hello, traveler, and welcome to Built on Sand! If you've just joined the board, are considering joining, or are in any way curious about what's going on here, you're in the right place. I'm FEATHERSTONE, and I am here to provide you with all the information you need to get started. If after reading this thread you have additional doubts, questions, curiosities and whatnot, feel free to PM me any time, or start a thread in Q&A. Also, please read our RULES - those are the laws of the land.

our game

First of all, the essentials. Built on Sand is a text-based RPG, focused on the themes of mystery and horror. It is an original setting: while it draws inspiration from various sources (the works of H.P. Lovecraft are one, but so are writings by Jorge Luis Borges, Neil Gaiman, Neal Stephenson, and more), it relies on no established canon. It's set in a world almost identical to our own, except for discrepancies you'll discover as you play. For more information on our story's location and what's going on, please read our SETTING & PLOT.

Our playing style

Built on Sand is a freeform, diceless game, focused on creative writing and cooperative storytelling. It is, at last partially, a plot-driven game: while of course you can develop your own personal plots and interact with others as you wish, there will be mysteries to investigate, plot hooks you can follow. As a GM, I'll be around describing facts and scenes, telling you the outcome of whatever you attempt.

Playable characters

Built on Sand is a deliberately low-powered game. All characters will be ordinary humans, who may come from any walk of life, but who are, anyway, utterly unprepared to deal with the supernatural events they will be facing. Please don't focus on writing a 'powerful' character or a 'winner', as there's no winning or losing in this game; just make a character you'd like to play, and who, of course, would find some reason to get involved in the setting.

How to join

To join our community, first of all you need to create an OOC account. That'll be your ID as a player, the one you'll use to send and receive messages and to chat in the OOC areas. After joining, please introduce yourself HERE - so that we can get acquainted, and also so that we know you're not a bot.

To sort your brand new profile as OOC, and have access to the special features that go with it, you'll have to follow two simple additional steps: go to your User CP --> Group Memberships (or just follow THIS LINK), and:

1) Join the "OOC" group;
2) Set it as "Display Group" (don't forget this second step! Some features may not be visible if you just join the group);

(If you've got issues with any of this, I'll do it for you! However, sorting your own profile will save you some time if we're not online simultaneously).

Character creation

We have no time limit to create a character, so feel free to look around and chat as long as you like. Once you're inspired and ready to make your PC, however, you'll have to register a new account, named after your character (that is to say, by their first name and last name, unless they're just known by their nickname, or follow a different naming standard because of their heritage).
To sort your brand new profile as IC, you have to follow the same procedure as above - just choose the "IC" group, instead, and set it as "Display Group".

Once you've done that, you can go to your User CP --> Edit Profile (or, again, follow THIS OTHER LINK), and fill in your application right there. Complete all the fields as required, then when you're ready let me know by PM. If nothing is missing, I'll approve your PC and you'll be ready to go.

As for the specifics of character creation, you'll see how each field comes with information on what you must write there. Our application is quite simple, overall: just describe how your character looks (especially if you don't have a descriptive avatar - see below), and the defining traits of their concept - which can cover their personality, their interests, the main facts of their biography... whatever you deem appropriate.

If you need any reference, try to consider what they do in their life, what is their main driving passion, what are their strengths and weaknesses, what their likes and dislikes, and, most importantly, what would get them involved in less than reassuring plots. Not all these elements must be exposed in your profile, but they may help you clarify your own ideas.

N.B.: When writing from your User CP, remember to use the tag under here to space lines and paragraphs, as simply using 'enter' won't do.

Code:

So add <br> before or after a line to add space.

About avatars, pics and faces

Built on Sand is a no faceclaim board. You can, however, upload an avatar that helps you (and others) visualize your character, if you wish so. It can be a photo or realistic drawing that represents their looks (in which case, the section on your Appearance can be shorter, and only describe what is different or missing from the picture); or it can be another image that's relevant for your character - a symbol that's meaningful for them, the tools of their craft, or whatever inspires you.

Whatever you choose, please make sure you have the right to use said picture - that is to say, you can use a picture that's Creative Commons, that you made yourself, or that you're using with the author's permission (whether because you bought it or because you asked them and they were okay). We'd rather do without copyright concerns! Please provide credits for your images, even when their licence does not require it, so one can tell where they come from.

If you don't know where to find legit images, take a look HERE: we have both a list of sites of useful sites and a gallery of sample avatars ready to use.

And now what?

After approval, it's time to take a look to our dedicated PLOTTING AREA. There you can post your own plotter and visit those of other players. Not only that, however: you'll also find a section with our ongoing plot hooks. If any of them strikes your interest, post in the relevant thread and I'll find a way to get your character involved.

Also don't forget to complete the last details of your profile, and more exaclty:
- linking your IC and OOC accounts (User CP -->Account Swticher, or follow THIS LINK);
- linking your plotter to your IC account's miniprofile (check once more User CP --> Edit Profile, that is to say THIS LINK);
- linking your IC profiles to your OOC account miniprofile (same link as above) - so those who interact with you OOC can know at a glance who you are playing.

To your OOC account, you can also add your contact information - it can be a Skype ID, an email address you actually use, a social media of your liking: whatever contact you're comfortable sharing and where you don't mind being reached for. This is entirely optional, but it'd make communication easier if you don't log in regularly, or just like to chat in a different venue.

Photo Credits - The photos and patterns used for this theme come from a variety of sources and authors, and were published under a Creative Commons licence. While not all of them required attribution, credits will be provided regardless, both out of gratitude and to give people the chance to view them in their original version if they like. All pictures have been cropped, resized and either desaturated or recoloured to fit the theme's necessities.
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